To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which miners' compensation claims are to be outsourced to India; and when they were first registered with his Department. (154937)

[holding answer 10 September 2007]: No claims will be outsourced to India. Capita's operation in Mumbai will handle some routine administration work on the coal health compensation schemes. None of the work will be customer facing. Nor will it involve interaction with solicitors or claimants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what restrictions there are in his Department's contract with Capita in relation to the outsourcing of miners' compensation claims to India. (154942)

[holding answer 10 September 2007]: The Department's contract with Capita does not restrict the transfer of work to India. The decision to offshore is ultimately a commercial decision. The Department supported this decision to help manage risks including those associated with staff retention in the period until completion of the coal health compensation schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many miners' compensation claims remain unsettled in (a) Bassetlaw and (b) nationally. (155117)

[holding answer 10 September 2007]: The numbers of outstanding claims are as follows:

(a) In Bassetlaw, there are 1,187 respiratory disease claims and 411 Vibration White Finger claims outstanding; and

(b) Nationally, there are 119,800 respiratory disease claims and 16,270 Vibration White Finger claims outstanding.